Reds v Fleetwood: Match Preview

The Reds will aim to continue their fine recent home form when they welcome Fleetwood Town to Oakwell for the first time on Tuesday night.

A sixth straight league defeat away from home on Saturday afternoon saw Barnsley slip two places to 15thin League One, but with Danny Wilson’s side unbeaten in five on home turf they will be confident of a response against the Cod Army.

Four league wins on the bounce has quickly turned Oakwell into a fortress and with the Fylde-Coast Club set to visit South Yorkshire for the first time in this fixture they will be well aware of the challenge that faces them.

Graham Alexander’s play-off chasing outfit continued their inconsistent run of late with a 1-1 home draw against fellow promotion-chasers Peterborough on Saturday.

With two wins and two defeats in their last six games the Cod Army sit 11thin the division and two points outside the top seven, but after winning just once in seven outings at their Highbury home they will be relieved to get on the road again on Tuesday night.

Alexander’s men have picked up victories in two of their last three matches away from the Fylde-Coast and with those successes coming at Rochdale and Leyton Orient, the Reds, just like Fleetwood, will be conscious of the difficult challenge facing them in what is only the second meeting between the two Clubs.

Team News

Reds’ boss Danny Wilson looks set to recall top goal scorer Conor Hourihane to his starting line-up for the visit of Fleetwood.

Young midfielder Paul Digby replaced the Irishman in the Reds starting XI on Saturday but the former Plymouth man was introduced at half-time and should return from the off against the Cod Army.

Striker Kane Hemmings also dropped to the bench at the County Ground and will be pushing fellow forwards Milan Lalkovic and George Waring for a starting berth at Oakwell, while centre-back Martin Cranie should be fit despite suffering a bang to his hip against the Robins.

Visitors Fleetwood hope to have playmaker Antoni Sarcevic back in their side after the former Chester man missed his side’s home draw against Peterborough on Saturday.

Experienced defender Nathan Pond was an unused substitute against the Posh as he stepped up his recovery from injury, while youngster Nick Haughton – who has impressed in recent weeks – should shrug off a bout of cramp.

One man who will be in South Yorkshire on Tuesday night, is former Barnsley ‘keeper David Lucas, who made three appearances for the Reds after joining on a free transfer from Sheffield Wednesday in January 2007.

Despite only making a trio of appearances for the Club, Lucas – who is currently goalkeeping coach at Fleetwood - will remain in Barnsley memories after he was knocked unconscious in a collision with Derby County’s Giles Barnes on his Reds debut.

Man in the Middle

David Coote takes charge of his 17thgame of the season on Tuesday night when Fleetwood Town visit Oakwell. The official has brandished 69 yellow cards and two reds so far this term, with Bradford’s Rory McArdle and Millwall’s Shaun Williams both receiving dismissals from the Nottinghamshire-based referee. Coote has also been in charge of some entertaining games this season including Wolves’ 3-3 home draw against Fulham in the FA Cup, as well as Chesterfield’s 3-2 success against Peterborough on Boxing Day.

Coote – who will be assisted by linesmen Robert Atkin and Marc Edwards, as well as fourth official Darren Drysdale at Oakwell – is set to take charge of his fourth Barnsley game on Tuesday but the Reds will not be overly welcoming following two defeats and one draw so far in his company. In August 2011 the official oversaw the Club’s goalless draw at Millwall, but in more recent times, Coote was the man in the middle for the Reds’ 2-0 loss at Derby in November 2012 and their humiliating 5-0 derby defeat at Huddersfield in March last season.

Their Star Man

Mr Versatile, Josh Morris, joined the Cod Army in January for a third loan spell from parent Club Blackburn Rovers. The 23-year-old made his initial switch to Highbury in February last season and despite suffering a 4-0 home defeat against Plymouth on his debut, the ex-England U20 international helped his new Club win promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history; scoring winners against both Cheltenham and Wycombe, before playing every minute of the Cod Army’s play-off semi-finals against York and their Wembley final success against Burton Albion in May.

Morris returned to Ewood Park at the end of last season but in July the former Yeovil, Rotherham and Carlisle loanee re-joined Fleetwood until January. Fine performances at Highbury saw that move extended until the end of the campaign last month, with the defender-turned-midfielder scoring four and assisting four in 30 appearances so far this season for Graham Alexander’s promotion-chasing outfit. The Preston-born utility man scored his first of the campaign in a highly entertaining 3-3 draw at home to Bristol City in September and despite going 12 games without a goal, Morris netted in Fleetwood’s 2-0 success at Rochdale, as well as a brace in their 2-2 Highbury draw against Swindon at the turn of the year.

Mutual Man

Committed defender Rob Edwards announced his retirement from football at the end of the 2012-13 season following a career in which he made over 200 appearances for nine different Clubs. The Reds became Edwards’ seventh Club back in July 2011 after the former Wales international made the switch from relegated Premier League side Blackpool, for whom he made two appearances in the top flight. The Madeley-born centre-half agreed a two-year deal at Oakwell and immediately helped his side keep a clean sheet as the Reds drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the 2011-12 season.

Despite that positive start, Edwards’ home debut was not as enjoyable with Keith Hill’s men suffering a 2-0 home defeat against Morecambe in the League Cup. The Aston Villa youth product went onto make 18 appearances in his maiden season at Oakwell; helping the Reds keep another three clean sheets including one in October 2011 as Hill’s men beat promotion-chasing Burnley 2-0 in South Yorkshire.

With Martin Cranie joining the Reds during the summer of 2012, Edwards dropped down the pecking order at Oakwell and at the start of the 2012-13 campaign the ex-Wolves man joined, the then, recently-promoted League Two outfit Fleetwood Town on loan. After making his debut in a 1-0 home loss against Wycombe, the versatile defender did help the Cod Army pick up two wins in five games as the Fylde-coast Club beat Chesterfield 2-1 in League Two and non-league outfit Bromley 3-0 in the FA Cup. The 32-year-old played his part as his temporary employers kept another clean sheet in a goalless draw at Rochdale before his loan switch came to an end in November 2012.

The 15-times Wales international joined Shrewsbury on loan towards the end of that 2012-13 season but after making only four appearances his spell at New Meadow came to an end and with it, so did his career, with Edwards announcing his retirement from the game at the age of just 30. Last season the former Barnsley man spent time gaining his coaching qualifications whilst working in the academies at both Wolves and Manchester City, but in July that hard work was rewarded as the ex-defender was appointed U18’s Head Coach at former Club Wolves.

Ticket Information

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*Advance purchase price only. Not available on the turnstiles.